George hadrich



G. HADRCH.

SPARK PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE so. I9I9.

1,345,765., IPaImIeII July 69 1920.

Snom/woz spark protuberances and a movable electrode PEE GEORGE HADRICH, OF HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN, AS'SIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO THEODORE C. BETZOLDT AND @NE-THIRD TO MAXW'ELL W, BENJAMIN, BOTH OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SPARK-PLUG.

Patented July (i, 1920.

Application mea :rune so, 1919. serial No. 307,760.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE IIADRIGH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Wayne and 'State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark-Plugs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to spark plugs for internal combustion engines having an ignition system adapted for producing sparks to detonate explosive mixtures in the cylinders of an engine, although spark plugs in accordance with my invention may be Aused in any chamber in connection with any electrical apparatus requiring jump sparks.

rIhe primary object of my invention is-to provide positive and reliable means, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, for producing a multiplicity of sparks in connection with a spark plug, so as to insure firing of an explosive mixture and an increase of the eciency of yan internal combustion engine equipped with the multiple sparking plugs.

Another object of this invention is to furnish a spark plug with a reciprocable electrode which may be held stationary during the operation of an engine to produce a multiplicity of sparks, or released so that the 'compression of an explosive mixture in an engine cylinder will cause the electrode to be shifted relative to the fixed electrode or body of the spark plug and thus remove carbon and other impurities that may retard the action ofthe spark plug and detract from its efficiency as a multiple sparking device.

A further object of this invention is to provide a spark plug with a two part or sectional insulator which facilitates the assembling of the parts of the spark plug, and provision is made for safely holding the insulator so thaty excessive pressure or heat cannot crack or injure the insulator body.

A.k still further object of this invention is to provide a spark plug having a fixed electrode presenting a plurality of teeth or having similar teeth or spark protuberances adapted to mesh with the teeth of the fixed electrode to remove carbon therefrom and clean the teeth so as to expedite sparking when said electrodes are included in an electric circuit.

rlhe above objects are attained by a mechanical construction that will be hereinafter considered and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the spark plug;

Fig.` 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1, and Y Fig. 4c isa similar view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes a metallic spark plug body having the inner or lower end thereof reduced so as to provide an annular interiork lateral shoulder 2, and the reduced end 3y of the body is exteriorly screwthreadedso thatit may be screwed into a cylinder or chamber wall, as is the usual practice in connection with an internal combustion engine. The reduced end 3 of the body 1 terminates in a nose or inclined wall l and diametrically opposed portions of said wall are cut away, as at 5 and the remaining wall portions formed with teeth or spark protuberances 6, the teeth being equally spaced and somewhat V shape in horizontal/section.'V

The upper or outer end of the spark plug body 1 is interiorly screwthreaded, as at 7 to receive a gland or nut 8 having a central opening 9. v

In the spark plug body 1 on the annular shoulder 2 thereof is a gasket packing ring or cushion member 10 and seated thereon is an annular flange 11 of an inner insulator 12. The inner insulator has a longitudinal bore 13 that is rectangular in cross section and the lower end of said insulator terminates in a nose 14; provided with a central recess 15. The upper or outer end of the insulator 12 also has a recess 16 in 100 Vwhich is placed a bushing 17 having a rectangular opening alining with the bore 13, the purpose of` which will presently appear. v e

Oii'top of the inner insulator 12 and the flange 11 thereof are gaskets, packing rings or cushion members 18 and 19, the former bearing anrannulus about the upper end of the inner insulator and the latter seated on the bushing 17 and provided with an opening registering with the opening inY said bushing. Engaging the gaskets 18 and19 is the inner end of an outer insulator 2O which extends through the opening 9 of the gland S, said insulator having its inner end recessed to receive `the upper end of the innerinsulator'12, alsoto providekr an annular shoulder 21 foi' a gasket, packing ring or cushion member 22 interposed between y said shoulder and the inner end of the gland 8. The inner end of the outer insulator 2O has diametrically opposed vertical grooves 23 into which -protrude pins 2iY carried bythe metallic spark plug body 1, said pins pre-V venting rotation of the Iouter insulator 2O within the spark plugbody 1.

The outer insulator 20 has a longitudinal bore 25 andthe inner end of said bore is Vreduced and in axial aliiiement with the boie to provide a rivet 29 adapted. for holding a Y thereof screw 'threaded' to receive a nut 36' headA 30 in operative relation to the nose of a spark plugbody. rlfhe head 30 is cut away, as at 31 and the remaining portions thereof formed to provide teeth or spark protuberances 32, similar to the teeth 6 and adapted to mesh therewith. The inner walls of the teeth 32 support a ring 33 and this ring will coperate with the teeth 32 in providing a multiplicity of ump sparks between the movable electrode and the fixed Velectrode represented by the nose l of the y spark plug, body 1.

VThe upper end of theelectrode 28 is cylindrical and extends into a socket 341 slidable in the boi'e 25 carried by the lower end of a rod 35,. said" Vrody having the upper end engaging a cap 37 mounted on. the upper end of the outer insulator 20.

y *i Inr the socket 34 is a coiled compression spring V engaging the upper end of the movable electrode 28 and as shownY in Fig. 1

it is possible for the movable electrode to reciprocate within the vinner insulator 12, such reciprocation being produced by the compression Aof an Iexplosive mixture in the cylinderv of an engine. rThe compression of van explosive mixture will shift the head 30 toward the nose 4 and cause the teeth 32 to enter the iiiterstices of the teeth 6, remove l carbon froin'both sets of teeth and maintain the same clean so that sparksV may readily jump Vbetween theinovable and stationary electrodes. The head 30 is 4only shifted in one direction by gases under compression and shifted in the opposite direction by the expansive force of the spring 3S, but this sorinfr ma be rendered inactive b ad'ust-V ing thev rod 35 until it seats on the collar 27, thereby holding the movable electrode A28 fixed relative to the nose 4; of the spark plug body 1. rllhis is the relation of parts during gine and it is only when the spark plug needs cleaning that the rod 35 israised to the operation of aninternal combustion en- 1 permit of the movable electrode reciprocat f Y ing and ejecting carbon and other deposits from the teeth and 82.

It is thought that the operation and utility or spark protuberances V6 of the spark plug will be apparent withoutA further description, and while in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall withinthe scope of the appended claims.

4What I claim is :-V Y 1. A spark plug having a fixed electrode, a reciproeable electrode, and means forl holding said reciprocable electrode stationary,

said fixed and reciprocable electrodes having teeth adapted to mesh when the reciproca-ble electrode is reciprocated relative to said fixed electrode.

2. A spark plug comprising a body providing a fixed electrode, an insulator in said body, a movable electrode in said insulator and having a head at the fixed electrode of said body, the head of said movablewelec-V trode and the fixedr electrode ofsaid body.V

having teethv adapted to nieshwhen said movable electrode is shifted, and meansin saidinsulator adapted for holding said' movable electrode normally stationary with thel head thereof in spaced relation to the fixed electrode of said body.

3. A spark plug comprising a body proi i viding a fixed toothed electrode, an inner insulator in said body, an outer insulator' on said inner `insulator within said: body, amovtoothed head'in spaced'relation to theffixed toothed electrode of said body, and means in thev outerinsulator adapted for holding said movable electrode stationary.

1. A spark plug comprising a body providing 'a fixed electrode', insulators within said body, a movable electrode in said insu laters adapted to be shifted toward the fixed Vable electrode in said` insulators having a a electrode of said body by the compression ofV gases inthe inner end of said sparklplug Y,

body, means in one of said insulators adaptf In testimony whereof l allix my signa-ture ed to shift said movable electrode away from in the presence of two witnesses. the xed electrode of said body and means adapted to render the last mentioned means GEORGE HADRICH' 5 inactive so that said movable electrode will Witnesses:

be held stationary and in spaced relation to KARL H. BUTLER,

the fixed electrode of said body. f ANNA M. Donn. 

